Perylene-diimides (PDIs) are outstanding versatile organic chromophores. They demonstrate exceptional thermal and photochemical stability, strongly absorb visible light, and show high fluorescence quantum yields. PDIs have been utilized as industrial dyes, electronic materials, sensors, photovoltaics, and building blocks for light-harvesting and artificial photosynthetic systems. Importantly, photophysical and redox properties of PDIs can be conveniently modified through substitution in the aromatic core at the positions 1, 6, 7, and 12 (bay region). Substitutions at bay positions and expansion of the PDI core are usually carried out starting from the halogenated derivatives, particularly brominated PDIs.
Doubly reduced aromatic compounds, aromatic dianions, have been extensively studied due to their fundamental importance in understanding aromaticity, n-delocalization, and electron transfer. Most aromatic dianions strongly absorb visible light to reach highly energetic excited states, allowing access to high energy electron transfer reactions. The excess charge on aromatic dianions makes them very reactive toward oxidants and protic solvents, especially water.
There is a need in the art to develop compounds having new electronic properties for use as industrial dyes, electronic materials, sensors, photovoltaics, supercapacitors and building blocks for light-harvesting and artificial photosynthetic systems.